Last.



` R. CARL.

LAST.-

AQPLIOATION FILED mn. 1e, 1910.

969,244, l Patented sept. @1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. CARL.

LAST.

Patented Sept 6, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mresses RUDOLF CARL, or BUrrALo, NEW Yonnj l specificeren-of Lettersrateiit. ,Patented Sept.

Application nied'riarch 1e; .1910; serial N b; 549,686.

To all wwm it m-ay'lconcern: f

Be it known that I, RUDOLRCARL, aciti- ,zen ofthe United States,residing .at Buf falo, in the county ofErie andjStateof New. York, haveinvented new and luseful Imrovements in Lasts, of which the. followdingis a specification. This intention relates -to that class o'flastswhich are capable of folding to permit of thereof. v

lGreat ,difficulty vhas .been-experier'iced heretofore inkeepiiifr'thefront or toe'sec-4 llieel section'of the last 1n alinemeutinasmuchas the pressure -toinserting -the sameinto a shoe and'removnigthe same therefrom during tlie manufacture tion and the rear-'rorwhichtlieshoe and the'last is subjected by the lex-'elingmachine which tendsto wear the connections between the. last sections'. vei"y rapidly;lVhen this wear becomesV p ronounced 'it is necessary to "discard jthela-st if accurate workmanshipis desired.

When cutting v'the front 'and rear sections of therlast from thesaniepiecelof' wood in sucli manner that one pa-rter' section has an integralcurvedknuckle .Which'turnsin correspondingly shaped socketin the otherApart orsection, these parte, -when assembled iiithe manner hereto afilling pieceor shim to `be inserted in the joint betweentheknuckle'and'socketto comv pensate for the material which is removedytlie"'kerf or cut offthe saw which sepa',- rates. thev two sectionsofthe last from each other; "This not.1oiily"cinvolves. 'additional cost'in the manufacture of thela'st but also renders itpractcal'lyimpossib'le to secure -a perfect bearii'igkofA the knuckle inthe can bear vf i'rrnlyagainst each other without' One ofthe.j objectsof .this invention is' to produce Yaklast" of this cha'racter in whichthe'front-aiid'rear sections are-separated in suchmaiinerthat'theknuckle and socket the necessity of employing any filling pieces.Anotherobject of'tliis invention is to .ie-

' inforce the last: sections while .in an iin---.--foldedf,conditionso'as to. more efectu'ally reSistlthe-strains orpressurestowhich theyA A ;,n'etsubjected by the leveling ;or othermaiiiinesduring the operatioiiof building a the' same.

invention has, the: further obieet to orejpracticed, require f foldedfpositiona'nd aids in' resisting the de? l struct'ive action of .theleveling Amachine,

which can be readily unlocked tol "permit of folding' the last andremoving the slioe therefrom land- 'which is automatically 'shiftedint'oits operativev position for holding'the last 'sections in an unfoldedposition. In 'the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets Figure lisa 'side elevation. show 'ing one form'of my improvements embodied 'in'a folding 'la-st. Fig'. 2 is a vertical longi-v 1 tudinalsectionthereof.- Fig. 3 is .ahorizontal section takenxin linev3-3, Fig-f1. Fig.4 1s 'avert1cal transverse section taken 1n side elevationjshowingamodification of my y improvements. Fig. 64 is a vertical transversesection in line 6-6, Fig. 5.' Similar letters ofreference indicatecorfresponding parts throughout the several views: A 'and' B represent the'front-ion toe sec' tion and therearA or heel section, respec-f tively,of the last.- Tliesetwo sections are *cut from a single piece of woodand piv.- yotally connected with each other, so that they may be foldedrelatively to each other yfor inserting the same into a shoe or removingthe saine therefrom kand unfolded while.

iii the shoe'so. as to properly support the In forming the last asubstantially V- shaped gap is first cut into thetop part of the woodenblock from which the last is made -so as'tofform a clearance'space whichpermits the l-ast-sectionsto fold toward each other o n theiroppositesides. The two last sections are then separated from. each otherso as to form a pair of forwardly projecting' integral curved. knucklesI) on the vfront end of the rear section between the top and bot` tomthereof, and apair of curved socketsc which are arranged en -thev rearend of thefro'nt section between the top and bottom 'thereofand wliichreceive the 'knuckles of the rear section. 'The front and rear sectionsof the lastarey preferably -pivotally connected .with eachother'- bymeans of" a .same while the s0le\is beingapplied to'the pivot screw'liayinga` vertical flattened eircular eye d-'arranged centrally'betweenthe sockets fof the-.frent last section and the .knuckles ofthefrearglast vsection and provided with laforwardly projecting screwhreaded'shank D 'which-1s secured iii-thev fx-ear end' of the front1ast.sec tion, 'and ifo ` pint-le or ivot pin e 'extending' transversely'is then made from a poi-nt adjacent to the lower front corner of thegap a, to a point a short distance in rear of the hole f. Alowern'iodilied, assliown in Fig. 5.

curved saw cut 71, is now produced which extends frointhehole fdownwardly and rearwardly below the. pivotal connection between thelastsections, this cut being produced by irst passing a Saw throughtlieliole f and Working from thence downwardly and rearwardly to apointbelow thelast pivot. A`sb'stantially upright saw-cut a' is now produced4which beginsat the underside of the last and 'terminates at its upperend in rear of tie lower curved saw out h. After the blo'ckhasbeenthuscut the same is sub` jected to sufficient pressure to produce a.break or fracture j between the hole f and the lower end of the uppercurved cut g and another break or fracture -c between the rear end ofthe lower curved cut h and the upper end of the straight-or upright cuti. It follows from this construction that when-the two last sect-ionsafter being pivotally conlnected and assembled and straightened orunfolded into their normal osition the broken joints j, c engage directy with each other and form ositive stops which fit each other perfectly,inasmuch as no material has 'en removed at these pointsand the twoarts'of the last are united exactly along the vline of fracture whichwas produced upon breaking' apart the two sections of the last. By thismeans'the two sections of the last when fullyv unfolded assume arelative position whichis absolutely accurate and-these parts of thelast are held in this position during the operation of .building a shoethereon, thereby insuring perfect workmanship. In other words byproducing the cooperating shoulders j, c by breaking the last.

sections apalt, these sections tit each other accurately and the bottoinof the sections are always kept even or flush in the unfolded positionof the same.

Instead-of employing a hole f in the last fondividiug the curved cut ofthe joint between .the knuckles Aand sockets into two pai-ts and formingtwo pairs'of integral stop shoulders ou each side of the last, as showni ii 4Fig. l, this cutting operation inay be In this last mentionedfigure only a single curved cut l iseinployed, the sanie extending'in acurve corner of the gap forwardly, downwardly and rearwardly to a pointIbelow the last pivot and terminating short of the upper end of theupright saw cutm. In this 'case the two sections of the last are brokenapart only-on the line 'n between the curved saw cut l and the straightsawc ut mandwlien the lastsections arestra-iglitened the saineengageleach other directly bythe stop faces at -the single broken jointn..y

The bottom 0 of the gap a is cutionfa curve of smaller radius than ,theother curved parts of the cut between the two last'sections so as tofornil a rearwardly facing shoulder!l 01. between the curve .0 and theadjacent curved `cut `g ofl larger diameter. :This shoulder o1. is inline with the upper -reai' 'face of the front last section and in the'unfolded condition 'of the last, is engaged by tliel wereiidof a platefP which is secuitd radi. lly or substantially s0 to the upper part ofthe rear end of the front last section by screws p, shownor otherwise.The plate P and shoiildero1 therefore serve as an additional stoporfsupport which prevents'the toe part of the last Afrointip-v ping upand the opposing bottom ,portions of the last from being pressed out ofline Vwhen the leveling machine rolls over: .the

bottoni ofthe last during the operation of building a shoe thereoii.This plate vmay he set in a recess f/ iii the iippeiupart o f the rearend of the 'front last section so that its rear side is flush with thisend ofthe. last, as shown in Figs. l and 2,-. or Ythe, front lastsection inay'be iinrecessed'andl the plate secured thereto with itsfront'side flush with the rear end of the front last section, as shownin Fig. 5. l

The lower or inner edge of the plate P bears against the upper side ofthe knuckles, thereby su porting the knuckles and preventing splittingof the saine., This plate also takes up the slack between the upperparts of the knuckles and the sockets due .to the upper part of the'sawcut g between the saine, thereby holding. the. last 'sections rigidlyiny place relatively to each other and relieving the pivot pin eof'undue strain.

Centrally on the loweredge of the plate cess r which receives the upperperipheral pai-t of the eye of the pivot screw. .By this ineaiis thisplate isy causedI to straddlefthe screw eye and hug the saine tightly,whereby out of place and the front andrear sections of the last are heldtightly in' place and pri-.vented iioiu wiggling, relatively to eachother@ r f Various iueaiis may be provided for lockthe pivot screw isprevented'froin turninging.v the last sections in tlicir unfoldedposition. Figs. i4 comprise a ,vertically swinging from a' pointadjacent to the lower front latch S pivoted at its rear end to the rearTheineaiis foi-'this purpose shown in n 1 last-nse'c'tioninear 'the topthereof while its 'front end projects into a cavity s formedl inunderside the y -u which isadapted to receive the plate P, at

raiding@ the plate, and shouldersfol, j, lc, in' lresisting-thetendency. of thezlevelin'g ma?. .-chine'to crush,'b 'reak' ordistort`the last l.while ,-the latter is against the bottoinof the saine.'

' l time of the Workman'which would otherwise opposite sides of the.plate P, thereby 'not only-holding the last section sin their un-'against `further movement-in the direction ment with the same -bothwhen'the latch or unlocked therefrom, thereby maintaining 'tively to.the Plate fOI .interlocking'.there- '\vith. Y A

`by 1a spring" device which preferably con- Aof a'gui'de way'or socket'Vformed' in the the resilience of the spring/w1 acting against thefollower o causes the latch to be de-4 e :pressed so. that lts notchengag'eawith the 'ducing the cost of manufacturing shoes acoperativeposition in engagement with the 'ated catchor detent device w ,which ispivthe -opposing partA of the front -"last ',section. The front end ofthe latch 'is :adapted to' engage with anotch t. formed centrally infthe upper 'ed e ofthe plate P and on its atch is provided with a notchthe bottom of the notchft. .'VVhen. the last sections are unfolded fullythe .latch maybe depressed -so that its notchl engages "with foldedposition but also holdingthe same in which thesectionsare unfolded, thusandthe last is supported at, the heeliand toe part.- Thenotch in the'`plater` which re#- ceives the latch isvpreferably of such depth that thela'tchalways remains iirengage is interlocked by its' notch' u' with'the plate the latch always in the proper position rela- For the-purposeof permitting the last-.to he folded the latch is raised so that itsnotch fuy isl disengaged 'from 'the plate P. :After the ylast `sectionsare unfolded the'latch may be rengaged with theiplate P for holding.v

the sectionsinlthis conditionzlby sim lly however, is preferablyeffected automatically sists of afolloweruguided'in the lower. partupperrear part-of the front last section 'and bearing .against the. upperside of the latch at thevfront end t-'he're'oh a plug/w closing theouter end ofsaid guide-way and a springA 101- arranged in -saidguide-way and bearing` at itsupperend against the .plu while its lowerend bears 'against a flower. `The instant the notch of the latch is ar-'ranged inline-with theupper edge" oft-he plate P upon unfoldingthe'latch' sections locking plate, thereby effecting t e locking ofthelatch automatically and ving the be required for this purpose,therbby .facili-l tating th'e manipulation of the last and l1ecordingly. e

If .desired the latch may be held in its locking plate by means of amanually operv comprisin :part whicis roken. '2;.A lastcomprising frontandrea'rlpiv- -otall-y connected sections,one of 'said sections.

oted to .swing transversel at its :upper end on the u per rearpart o thefront last sec;-

tion whi e itslow'er end maybe moved lat'- 'erally 'into-*a positionover the latch forholdlngthe'- same'in place, as'shown in full.

llines inv Fig.- 6, or to.' one side of the latch,

as shown by dotted lines in the same figure.

-My mprovedlast is verymuch stronger thanthelasts heretofore in use, itis not liable to break down and become useless vunder thesevere strainsto which-the same is subjected, it can be produced at compara-`tivelylo'w' costaud can. be manipulated very quickly, 'therebyeffecting' a considerable savin -in the-maintenance of lasts, and alsoelfectln a material saving in the time of `.1;A,last comprisingfront-and-rear pivotally connected sections, one of said sectionshaving-.a circular knuckle and the other. a circular socket whichreceivesfsaid knuckle 4said sections-being constructed `from a singleblock and the jointbetween said sections art which is cut- -and anotherhavingla circular knuckle-and the other a circular; socket which Ireceives said" knuckle v said sections being construct'drrom a single-block 'and said .sections-having 4some parts `thereof in thejointbetween the same' engaging with eachfotherf; whileother. parts insaid joint. are outjof engagement witheach other.

A lastcomprising lfront 'and rear piv-' .otally connected' sections,said-sectionsubeing -separated atfthe top 'by a gap and said ,rear

sections having "a curved knuckle and the prising acurvedeutterminating. below the .pivotal c'onnectionjbetween' said sections, an,upright cut extending. upwardly from. the bottom of the last, and abrokenpart .extending from 'the curvedcut to said upright i cut.

otally connected'sections, said sections lbeing separated at thet'op bya lgap and "said rear sections havin 1f acurved .'knuckle and the frontajcurve socket which receives said knuckle, the jointbetweeifs'aidsections comprisi'n an. opening arranged infront of the 4.Alastcomprising front and rear piv-V 'front a curved'socket whichreceivcssaid y knuckle, the joint-between said sections compivotaconnection between Said Sections, an

upper curved cut extendin fromthe'front side -of said gap' downwar y and-terminatf ing in rearjof said opening, a broken4 part extendingfitomthelower end of said upper curved cut to said opening,'a lower curved cutextending downwardly from said opening toaoint below the pivotalconnection between t e last sections, an upright cut extending-,from thebgtto'm of the last uplac wardly, and a broken part extending from therear end of salid'lower cut to the upper end of said upright cut.

. 5. A last comprlsingy two pivotally connected sections which are'separated at the top by a gap andone of said sections having acurvedknuckle which' is provided with a shoulder adjacent to said gap, and theother section having a curved socket which rec'eives said knuckle, and aplate 'secured to the last section having the socket andv adapted tolie-engaged by the'shoulder of the knuckle in the unfolded position ofthe last' top by-a gap and one of said sections having a curved knucklewhich is provided with a .shoulder adjacent to said gap, and the othersection having a curved socket which rej ceives said knuckle, fand aradial plate securedtofthe last section having the socket and engagingwith the periphery of the knuckle vand adapted to be engaged by theshoulder of th'e knuckle in the unfolded position of the last sections.v

' 8. A last comprising two pivotally connected sections which areseparated4 at the top by a gap and one of said sections having a curvedknuckle which is provided with a I shoulder'adjacent to said gap, andthe'other section having La curved socket which receives said knuckle, apivot screw having an eyearran ed axially in line with said socket andknuc le and. having a screw shank which is secured in last sectionhaving the socket, a pivot pin 4extending through said eye and knuckle,and .a plate secured to one of the last sections andhaving a recess inits edge whereby the same engages with the peripheral part of said screweye.

9. A last comprising two pivotally'connected sections which areseparated at the top by a' gap and one of said sections having a curvedknuckle which is .provided witha shoulder adjacent to said gap, and theother section having Va curved socket which receives said knuckle, -aplate securedtm one of; said last sections, and a latch pivoted onadapted to engage with said plate.

10. A lastcomprising two pivotally connected sections which-areseparated at the top by a gap and one of said sections having a curvedknuckle which is provided with a slibulder adjacent to said gap, and theother section having a curved socketwhich receives said knuckle, a platesecured to one of said last 'sections and having a notch and a latchpivotedpn the other last section and arranged in the notch of said-plateand having a notch which receives the plate at the bottom of said notch.

11. A last comprising two pivotally connected sections Which areseparated at the top by a gap and one of said sections having a curvedknuckle which is provided witha the lother last section and; having anotch l shoulder adjacent to said gap, -and the other section having acurved socket which receives said knuckle, a' latch for holding saidlast sections in anunfolded position, and a pressing device which tendsto constantly move said latch into its operative position.

12. A last comprising two .pivot'ally connected sections which areseparated at the top by a gap and one of said sections having a curvedknuckle which is provided with a shoulder adjacent to said gap, andtheother' section having a curved vsocket which receives said knuckle, aplate secured to one of said sections, a latch provided on the othersection, and a pressing device for holding said latch in engagement withsaid plate comprising a follower b'ear'ing a ainst said latch andarranged in a ide soc et in the adjacent last section, a p ug closingthe outer cn'dof said socket, and a spring arranged in said guide socketand bearing at its opposite ends against said plug and follower. l

Witness my-hand this 12th day of March,

RUDOLF .CARIl lVitnesses THEO. L. Porr, ANNA Hitlers.

